By now, it’s evident that the threat of climate change is real. Maldives that stands at an average altitude of 2.1 meters above sea level, for example, faces the danger of being wiped away due to rising sea level, a direct fallout of unprecedented melting of glaciers due to increasingly rising global temperatures. The island-nation too had resorted to an ingenious method of highlighting the threat of global warming by holding an underwater cabinet meeting last month.
Countries such as Nepal and Maldives, whose contribution in damaging the climate is miniscule at the most, must stand united at Copenhagen and demand compensation from rich countries for having to share the burden of the mess that they are primarily responsible for creating during their march to modernity. Poor countries should also seek compensation from developing countries such as China, India and Brazil. As they have begun to grow on a fast-track mode in recent times, they too have gone on to become major global polluters. Additionally, poor countries should ask for funds and support from both developed and developing countries to invest in clean and green energy. It’s unfortunate that while rich and developing countries lock horns over climate change issues, countries such as Nepal are often ignored.
The Copenhagen meet will attempt to chalk out a new treaty on climate change to replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012. However, there are skepticisms that such a deal might not be possible at Copenhagen because of differences between developing and developed countries on the volume of emission cuts. However, we hope that in the interest of protecting Mother Earth, countries would give up their dogged stands and show flexibility to come up with a deal that is fair to everyone, including countries such as Nepal.
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